He says this without hesitation, barely sparing me a glance on his way over to his designated tables.
I always knew I liked him.
Save for “Birdie,” everyone calls me “Ali” (or “Alexandria” when I’m inbigtrouble). Reed, however, has always called me Alex, knowing how I feel about my name, and I adore him for it.
He sweeps me up into a hug of his own when he returns, and I can’t help but squeal as Reed lifts me off the ground, adding in a spin for good measure. “How’ve you been, dolcezza? Got any more ink to show me?”
I grin but offer no more than a coy “Perhaps.”
Perusing the artwork displayed on his own skin, I can clearly seehe’sadded more.
With Reed’s shirt collar in the way, I can only catch a glimpse of thorns and what looks like a rose petal peeking out, just shy of going up his neck. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” he whispers with a wink, setting me back on my feet.
“Deal.” I motion between Maggie and me. “Would you guys happen to have any summer positions available?”
Castelli’s had stopped posting job openings online, since it typically brought high school and college students to the business. The server positions required afternoons and weekends, which either didn’t work with extracurriculars or got in the way of partying during the school year. And summers somehow only made the flakiness worse. Giorgia hiredninedifferent applicants for the same position over the course of a year, all of whom quit in under a month.
Nico gives Maggie a good once-over, as if he can assess her work ethic by her posture alone. “Do you have any experience waitressing?”
“Uh…no,” she admits.
“Have you ever worked in the restaurant business at all?”
“…No.”
“You know how to work a cash register?”
She can’t help but wince. “No.”
Nico huffs, like he actually might be disgruntled. “Well, that’s not particularly promising. So, I guess…you’re hired.”
“Seriously?”
“Hell, you know just about as much as these two did when they started here,” he laughs, nodding to Reed and me. “Come in tomorrow at ten. We’ll get you up to speed.”
For the firsttime since arriving here, I actually feel the weight lift ever so slightly off my chest, and I want nothing more than to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can.
How do I go about doing that?
By a good, old-fashioned endorphin rush.
I’m excited.
Maggie? Not so much.
“Please don’t make me.” She pouts and drags her feet all the way down the path to the hiking trail like a whiny five-year-old.
I sigh. “Did you forget the part where I already said youdidn’thave to?”
“And leave you out in the middle of the woods, all alone?” She eyes me in thatspecialkind of way that lets me know I’m a veryspecialkind of stupid. “You have watched a horror movie before, right?”
This at least makes me laugh, because we’re about the farthest thing from alone. I was only able to convince Maggie to come with me to the jogging path because she hoped to meet a hot, shirtless guy. Instead, there are about twenty or so members of a geriatric hiking club, along with several birdwatching groups.
“What the frack? Where are all the fitness fanatics?” Maggie groans. “I wanna see Channing Tatum or Chris Hemsworth, not my Great Uncle Fred.”
I give her a light slap on the arm.
The girl doesn’t mean to say things so loud, but damn, does her voice carry.
